I’m a widower & my husband of 25 years passed in October 2013 all I got from ssi
Was 500 death befit. Could I have been getting his ssi ??? They said I had to be 60 but since I turn 60 in this last April I’ve heard nothing from them plus I’ve tried to get ahold of them but I get no response can you help me????

Hi. I'm sorry for your loss. You can claim widow's benefits as early as age 60, or as early as age 50 if you're disabled, but it isn't automatic. You would need to file an application for widow's benefits in order to potentially begin drawing them. The only way to do that while Social Security offices are closed to the public is to apply by phone. You can initiate that process by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213.

Whether or not filing for widow's benefits now would be a good idea for you, though, depends on a number of different factors. The most important of those is whether or not you could become eligible for benefits based on your own work record, and how much you are earning if you are currently working. Social Security widow's benefits are reduced for age if you start drawing them prior to your full retirement age (FRA), so in many cases it's smarter not to apply for widow's benefits when you're first eligible so that you're not stuck with a permanently lower monthly benefit rate.

You may want to strongly consider using our software (https://maximizemysocialsecurity.com/purchase) to fully analyze the options available to you in order to determine your best strategy for maximizing your benefits.

Best, Jerry